Scottish Executive

Autism

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with an autistic spectrum disorder are held in (a) a prison or (b) secure accommodation.

Cathy Jamieson: The number is not known. This information is not collected in (a) prisons or (b) secure accommodation.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are receiving statin treatment and, of these, how many have diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The table below gives the number of prescriptions for statins for the financial years ending 31 March 2002 and 2003. Data in the table refers to prescriptions dispensed in the community but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics. It is not possible to determine how many people received these prescriptions, nor how many of them were for people with diabetes.

  





2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Number of Prescribed Items 
  

1,590,836 
  

1,965,396

Diabetes

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring the effectiveness of diabetes tests carried out in local pharmacies in preventing complications relating to diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is not monitoring this. Such schemes are to be welcomed when they are developed in conjunction with local diabetes services.

Diabetes

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been referred to GPs from diabetes tests in local pharmacies in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Lothian and (c) Scotland since July 2002.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact P1 class sizes of 25 will have on class management of other primary school classes.

Peter Peacock: We do not expect the introduction of class sizes of 25 in P1 to have any impact on class management of other primary school classes.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts will include adequate provision for smaller class sizes in both primary and secondary education.

Peter Peacock: The negotiation of contracts for school PPP projects is a matter for the local authorities concerned. Local authorities need to take a range of factors, including class sizes, into account in specifying their requirements for new and refurbished schools. The Scottish Executive is publishing this month guidance under the School Estate Strategy entitled The 21st Century School which highlights some of these factors.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its policy for multi-age composite classes differs from its policy for multi-grade composite classes.

Peter Peacock: Class size limits apply to composite classes whatever their composition.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy on multi-age composite classes for developmental education is and how it will develop this policy.

Peter Peacock: Class organisation is a matter for education authorities taking into account the needs of individual pupils and schools. Class size maxima are set out in teachers’ terms and conditions of service and secondary legislation for P1 to P3.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities on the use of composite classes as a tool for meeting targets for class sizes set by it and whether that guidance is different for multi-age composite classes and multi-grade composite classes.

Peter Peacock: Class size maxima are set out in secondary legislation for P1 to P3 and in nationally agreed teachers’ terms and conditions of service. The Scottish Executive does not issue guidance on how local authorities should ensure compliance with those class size maxima, leaving that judgement to local discretion.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of P1 to P3 pupils are taught in composite classes in each local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The percentage of P1 to P3 pupils in composite classes at the date of the 2001 school census is set out in the table. The results of the September 2002 school census will be published on 26 August 2003.

  Number and Percentage of P1 to P3 Pupils in Composite Classes

  





P1-P3 
  



Number of Pupils in Composite Classes 
  

All Pupils 
  

Percentage of Pupils in Composite Classes 
  



Scotland 
  

39,959 
  

172,434 
  

23.20% 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

685 
  

5,970 
  

11.50% 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

2,897 
  

8,198 
  

35.30% 
  



Angus 
  

1,086 
  

3,845 
  

28.20% 
  



Argyll and Bute 
  

1,290 
  

2,982 
  

43.30% 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

259 
  

1,775 
  

14.60% 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

2,233 
  

5,052 
  

44.20% 
  



Dundee City 
  

499 
  

4,603 
  

10.80% 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

876 
  

4,205 
  

20.80% 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

580 
  

4,171 
  

13.90% 
  



East Lothian 
  

613 
  

3,449 
  

17.80% 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

219 
  

3,666 
  

6.00% 
  



Edinburgh City 
  

1,329 
  

11,992 
  

11.10% 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

718 
  

908 
  

79.10% 
  



Falkirk 
  

748 
  

5,087 
  

14.70% 
  



Fife 
  

2,896 
  

12,133 
  

23.90% 
  



Glasgow City 
  

3,489 
  

18,363 
  

19.00% 
  



Highland 
  

3,358 
  

7,382 
  

45.50% 
  



Inverclyde 
  

524 
  

2,946 
  

17.80% 
  



Midlothian 
  

538 
  

3,004 
  

17.90% 
  



Moray 
  

1,121 
  

3,226 
  

34.70% 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

940 
  

4,955 
  

19.00% 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

2,672 
  

11,885 
  

22.50% 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

235 
  

732 
  

32.10% 
  



Perth and Kinross 
  

1,386 
  

4,331 
  

32.00% 
  



Renfrewshire 
  

523 
  

6,158 
  

8.50% 
  



Scottish Borders 
  

1,485 
  

3,669 
  

40.50% 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

362 
  

832 
  

43.50% 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

721 
  

3,596 
  

20.10% 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

2,871 
  

10,529 
  

27.30% 
  



Stirling 
  

723 
  

2,968 
  

24.40% 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

566 
  

3,392 
  

16.70% 
  



West Lothian 
  

1,517 
  

6,430 
  

23.60% 
  



  Source: September 2001 School Census.

  Note:

  Figures exclude pupils based in Special Units.

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in incorporating industry standard qualifications into the development of national qualifications.

Lewis Macdonald: National Occupational Standards, developed by industry representative bodies, are embedded in all Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the educational impact has been of reducing class sizes to 30 in P1 to 3 and what further research it will carry out in this area.

Peter Peacock: We are currently considering future research options regarding the impact of class sizes but we have not yet agreed the scope or specification of the research.

Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils' Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when Education (Public Records) (Scotland) Regulations, to be made under section 4 of the Education (Disability Strategies and Pupils’ Educational Records) (Scotland) Act 2002, will come into effect.

Peter Peacock: It is hoped that the regulations will be laid before Parliament this year and, subject to the approval of the Parliament, will come into effect 21 days after they are laid.

Enterprise

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made regarding a regional policy, as referred to in A Framework for Economic Development in Scotland .

Lewis Macdonald: The Framework for Economic Development identifies the role of Government as ensuring that all regions of Scotland enjoy the same economic opportunities. The Executive is committed to this and has a range of policies and programmes in place which together work towards this goal. Our commitments to Scotland’s transport and communications infrastructures will contribute significantly towards this, while Regional Selective Assistance and European Structural Funds direct resources to areas of greater need. Furthermore, narrowing the unemployment gap is a priority for the Enterprise Networks, which are able to address local needs and opportunities.

European Funding

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received in respect of any European Commission plans to extend Objective 1 funding for regional development until 2013, as referred to in recent comments by Glenys Kinnock MEP, and whether it has had any discussions with the commission about any such funding for Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: We expect that the European Commission’s Third Report on Economic and Social Cohesion, due at the end of 2003, will give an indication of its thinking ahead of it publishing formal proposals for regulations in early 2004.

  Commission officials have given informal indications of their thinking on Structural Funds post-2006 at a number of recent events, including the possibility of transitional funding for current Objective 1 regions. Scotland currently has no Objective 1 regions.

  The Scottish Executive has been fully engaged with the European Commission and others in the debate on the future of EU regional policy to ensure that Scottish interests are taken into account.

General Agreement on Trade in Services

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32596 by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 December 2002, whether any assessment has now been made of the legal implications of the BetterCare Group Ltd ruling on the impact and operation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

Mr Jim Wallace: The regulation of international trade is a reserved matter and as such the UK Government take the lead in this matter. Scottish Executive officials are, however, keeping in regular contact with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) colleagues regarding GATS and how it may impact on the Executive’s responsibilities.

  DTI colleagues indicate that this ruling has no implications on GATS as GATS does not extend to cover rules on Government procurement.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new out-patients seen in the NHS in each year since 1999 went on to require treatment as an elective in-patient or day case, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The exact information requested is not available centrally. It is not possible to identify from the central records the number of new out-patients who go on to require treatment as an elective in-patient or day case.

  Table 1 shows the number of new out-patient attendances and the number of elective admissions during each year specified. Some of the patients admitted as an in-patient or a day case will have been admitted without a preceding out-patient attendance.

  Figures for new out-patient attendances in each year do not necessarily equate to the elective in-patient and day case figures for the same year because, for example, a patient seen as a new out-patient in year ending March 2000 may not become an elective in-patient or day case admission until the year ending March 2001.

  Table 1

  NHSScotland: New Out-patient Attendances in Acute Specialties1,2,3,4,5 and Elective In-patients and Day Cases6,7,8 by NHS Board of Residence Years Ending 31 March: 2000-02P

  


NHS Board (Residence) 
  

Financial Years 
  



1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02P




Scotland 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

915,931 
  

895,282 
  

861,106 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

209,876 
  

201,764 
  

190,919 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

396,952 
  

406,093 
  

381,529 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 75,775 
  

 74,929 
  

 55,389 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 20,275 
  

 19,767 
  

 19,255 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 30,164 
  

 31,200 
  

 32,720 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 66,600 
  

 64,027 
  

 62,367 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 15,418 
  

 15,050 
  

 14,262 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 33,721 
  

 36,414 
  

 35,211 
  



Borders 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 19,093 
  

 18,650 
  

 19,629 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 4,183 
  

 3,665 
  

 3,490 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 8,228 
  

 8,748 
  

 8,565 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 23,508 
  

 23,427 
  

 22,799 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 6,296 
  

 6,119 
  

 5,187 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 11,998 
  

 12,322 
  

 10,677 
  



Fife 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 62,194 
  

 60,407 
  

 59,772 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 12,814 
  

 13,350 
  

 11,690 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 35,124 
  

 36,865 
  

 34,107 
  



Forth Valley 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 46,550 
  

 45,597 
  

 45,480 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 9,367 
  

 9,498 
  

 9,307 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 20,155 
  

 22,799 
  

 24,906 
  



Grampian 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 81,287 
  

 77,328 
  

 76,396 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 24,923 
  

 22,681 
  

 21,732 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 28,059 
  

 28,911 
  

 24,851 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

180,270 
  

182,644 
  

175,717 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 38,373 
  

 38,630 
  

 37,435 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 68,908 
  

 71,325 
  

 69,766 
  



Highland 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 39,249 
  

 37,474 
  

 37,769 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 10,706 
  

 10,164 
  

 9,697 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 11,921 
  

 12,383 
  

 12,642 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 97,020 
  

 95,182 
  

 88,429 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 23,130 
  

 21,587 
  

 20,654 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 52,072 
  

 48,365 
  

 47,539 
  



Lothian 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

137,014 
  

133,102 
  

134,950 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 23,535 
  

 21,584 
  

 19,988 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 62,342 
  

 61,253 
  

 52,813 
  



Orkney 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 2,679 
  

 2,607 
  

 2,037 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 1,019 
  

 1,089 
  

 1,111 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 717 
  

 963 
  

 885 
  



Shetland 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 3,847 
  

 3,907 
  

 3,992 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 1,412 
  

 1,322 
  

 1,332 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 1,281 
  

 1,219 
  

 1,400 
  



Tayside 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 76,015 
  

 71,229 
  

 71,317 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 16,416 
  

 15,224 
  

 13,755 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 30,605 
  

 31,553 
  

 23,537 
  



Western Isles 
  

New out-patient attendances during year 
  

 4,830 
  

 4,772 
  

 5,063 
  



Elective in-patients8 during year 
  

 2,009 
  

 2,034 
  

 2,024 
  



Day cases8 during year 
  

 1,657 
  

 1,773 
  

 1,910 
  



  Notes:

  1. SMR00 records (Scottish Morbidity Records 0) record all new out-patient appointments in consultant-led clinics. This analysis relates to referrals from doctors and dentists.

  2. Excludes patients who did not attend for their appointment (DNAs) and return attendances.

  3. Includes patients with a Guarantee Exception Code or Availability Status Code (GEC/ASC).

  4. Acute specialties exclude obstetrics and mental illness specialties.

  5. The same patient may have more than one new out-patient attendance in the course of a year or number of years and they will be counted each time in the table.

  6. SMR01 records (Scottish Morbidity Records 1) record all in-patient and day case discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric specialties in NHS Hospitals in Scotland.

  7. The same person could have more than one elective in-patient episode or day case episode in the course of a year or number of years and they will be counted each time in the table.

  8. Elective admissions are based on true waiting list and deferred waiting list admissions only i.e. exclude admissions for repeat waiting list.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many contact orders were applied for by non-resident fathers in each year since 1999.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many contact orders applied for by non-resident fathers were not granted by the courts in each year since 1999.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many contact orders applied for by non-resident fathers were granted by the courts in each year since 1999, broken down into orders for direct unsupervised contact, direct supervised contact and indirect contact.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not available centrally.

Legal Aid

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether persons convicted of murder or culpable homicide who seek compensation in respect of their treatment in prison are entitled to be granted legal aid and, if so, whether there is any limit on the amount of legal aid granted to them, and, if there is such an entitlement, in how many such cases legal aid has been granted in the last five years.

Cathy Jamieson: A solicitor may grant advice and assistance under the legal aid scheme if the matter is one of Scots law and the client meets the financial eligibility test. In general, a solicitor must work within an initial cost ceiling of £80; if however, the case is likely to go to court, then the cost ceiling is £150. In either case, the board’s approval is needed before a solicitor can incur expenditure above these limits.

  Applications for civil legal aid are assessed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board applying the statutory tests prescribed in the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act 1986; these are financial eligibility, probable cause and reasonableness. Each application is considered on its own merits and there are no restrictions on those who may apply for legal aid or on how many applications may be submitted. The board’s prior approval is needed if a solicitor wishes to incur costs of an unusual or expensive nature.

  The board does not collate information on the number of persons convicted of murder or culpable homicide who have been granted civil legal aid or advice and assistance on matters relating to their treatment in prison.

NHS Hospitals

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the programme to end the use of mixed sex hospital wards will be completed, as referred to in A Partnership for a Better Scotland

Malcolm Chisholm: Very substantial progress has been made towards achieving the target of ending mixed sex hospital wards with almost 99% of wards fully compliant. Plans are in place to make six more wards compliant by next April. Discussions continue with two trusts to ensure that the remaining 15 wards are made compliant in the shortest possible time. In the meantime, all trusts have been reminded of the need to agree with their local health council a local policy to ensure that the dignity and privacy of patients is respected at all times in these wards.

NHS Hospitals

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Lothian NHS Board and Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust regarding car parking cost for patients, visitors and staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Malcolm Chisholm: There have been no formal discussions but the Executive is currently reviewing its guidance on car parking charges.

NHS Hospitals

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times each NHS acute hospital was closed to new admissions, and what the duration of each such closure was, in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

  The majority of temporary closures to new admissions occur when a hospital is under particularly severe pressure, for example due to a substantial increase in emergency admissions during the winter months. Such closures are invariably of very short duration, and when they occur, arrangements are put in place to ensure that urgent cases are diverted to another hospital and that elective admissions which have to be cancelled are re-scheduled as soon as possible.

NHS Hospitals

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times each accident and emergency department had to be closed to new admissions, and what the duration of each such closure was, in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.

  The majority of temporary closures to new admissions occur when a hospital is under particularly severe pressure, for example due to a substantial increase in emergency admissions during the winter months. Such closures are invariably of very short duration, and when they occur, arrangements are put in place to ensure that patients requiring urgent treatment are diverted to another hospital.

NHS Hospitals

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards or departments within NHS hospitals have had to close due to service disruption caused by (a) industrial action, (b) major epidemic, outbreak or infection, (c) major disease, (d) facilities maintenance problems and (e) violence in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area, and what the durations of any such closures have been.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

  Temporary closures of this nature are usually of very short duration, and when they occur, arrangements are put in place to ensure that patients requiring urgent treatment are diverted to another hospital and that elective admissions which have to be cancelled are re-scheduled as soon as possible.

Nursing

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses have received the £1,000 training grant to prepare for nurse prescribing; what amount has been paid in total for this purpose; what budgets have been made available; which establishments are providing the necessary training and assessment, and whether the number of qualified nurse prescribers will meet its targets over the next three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The funding for nurse prescribers is not a training grant given to individual nurses. It is allocated to trusts via their boards on the basis of named lists of nurses who are eligible to undergo training. These lists are submitted to the Executive by the trusts. The funding is used both to pay course fees and to help support trainee prescribers. The sum allocated was initially £700 per person, but increased to £1,000 per person at the beginning of 2003.

  Trusts have received £700 funding for 516 nurses and £1,000 funding for 217 nurses. This number continues to increase as trusts submit further lists of nurses to be trained. So far, £578,200 has been paid. The budget for 2003-04 is £710,000, and in addition to supporting the training of nurse prescribers it will also be used to support the training of pharmacists as supplementary prescribers.

  Seven higher education institutions in Scotland are providing training for Extended/Supplementary nurse prescribers. These are Glasgow Caledonian University, Robert Gordon University, University of Paisley, University of Dundee, University of Stirling, Napier University and Queen Margaret University College.

  No targets have been set for the next three years because it is expected that trusts will put forward their named lists on the basis of what best meets the needs of patients in their areas, taking into account local disease patterns and issues such as remoteness and rurality. The Scottish Executive will, however, continue to closely monitor uptake of the prescribing courses in the light of its commitment to improve access for patients to appropriate treatment.

Prescription Charges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions were dispensed in each of the last three years and, of these, how many were for chronic conditions, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of prescription items dispensed in Scotland in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board, is set out in the table below. The number of prescriptions written to treat chronic medical conditions is not known as patient-specific data are recorded only in each patient's notes.

  Number of Prescription Items

  


Health Board 
  

Financial Year 
  



2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Argyll and Clyde Health Board 
  

5,984,847 
  

6,319,760 
  

6,647,131 
  



Ayr and Arran Health Board 
  

4,928,306 
  

5,133,716 
  

5,297,575 
  



Borders Health Board 
  

1,295,149 
  

1,376,761 
  

1,468,719 
  



Dumfries and Galloway Health Board 
  

2,147,900 
  

2,298,065 
  

2,411,440 
  



Fife Health Board 
  

4,307,334 
  

4,538,128 
  

4,773,999 
  



Forth Valley Health Board 
  

3,743,937 
  

3,896,228 
  

4,108,885 
  



Grampian Health Board 
  

5,417,820 
  

5,686,625 
  

5,928,454 
  



Greater Glasgow Health Board 
  

12,086,067 
  

12,774,950 
  

13,463,954 
  



Highland Health Board 
  

2,369,295 
  

2,494,270 
  

2,646,912 
  



Lanarkshire Health Board 
  

7,780,461 
  

8,174,666 
  

8,718,718 
  



Lothian Health Board 
  

7,623,955 
  

7,914,430 
  

8,227,506 
  



Orkney Health Board 
  

200,361 
  

207,697 
  

220,800 
  



Shetland Health Board 
  

265,394 
  

284,378 
  

293,855 
  



Tayside Health Board 
  

4,811,803 
  

4,996,577 
  

5,203,677 
  



Western Isles Health Board 
  

375,665 
  

403,960 
  

436,188 
  



Total 
  

63,338,294 
  

66,500,211 
  

69,847,813

Prescription Charges

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will revise the charging arrangements for NHS prescription pre-payment certificates.

Malcolm Chisholm: We have no plans to do so.

Regeneration

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34650 by Ms Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003, when discussions between it, the two local authorities, Communities Scotland and the enterprise network on the allocation of funding for accelerating land renewal in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire will be completed and when it will make an announcement regarding the allocation.

Ms Margaret Curran: An announcement on the specific allocations of funding from the vacant and derelict land fund to Glasgow and North Lanarkshire will be made in due course.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the requirement to upgrade the National Grid to meet the increase in electricity generated from wind farms will result in a halt to planning applications for wind farms.

Lewis Macdonald: We would propose no such moratorium.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to upgrade the National Grid to meet the increase in electricity generated from wind farms and who will be consulted regarding the size, siting and type of electricity pylons and any other infrastructure required.

Lewis Macdonald: The upgrade of the transmission systems in Scotland is a matter for the owners, Scottish Hydro-Electric Transmission Ltd and SP Transmission, and the industry regulator, Ofgem. The regulation of the electricity industry is a reserved matter.

  Any proposal involving the construction of new transmission lines or the upgrading of existing lines would be subject to consent from Scottish ministers under section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. Projects such as this would also be subject to The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2000. This would entail consultation with the public and the entire range of public bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations with an interest in such matters.

Scottish Human Rights Commission

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to establish the Scottish Human Rights Commission.

Hugh Henry: Establishment of a Scottish Human Rights Commission remains an Executive priority and as such is reflected in the Partnership Agreement.

  The Executive has a very full programme of legislation and it has been necessary to prioritise issues to be dealt with in the first year of the session. The second consultation exercise closed on 6 June and we are giving thorough consideration to the views we have received. Once we finalise our proposals we will be able to progress to a draft bill.

Social Work

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-455 by Euan Robson on 9 June 2003, when the report of the Chief Inspector of Social Work on the examination of the reports on the "Miss X" case will be available and whether it will publish this report.

Euan Robson: The Chief Inspector’s report on the Scottish Borders Council social work services for people affected by learning disabilities is expected in the autumn, and will be published.